Lubricating apparatus



Aug. 27, 1935. F. WILKES LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 27, 1933 2 SheetsSheet 2 .INVENTOR WM Patented Aug. 27, 1935 cars Claims.

My invention relates to lubricating devices and more. particularly to those having a supply reservoir or container from which oil will be automatically fedtomaintain a constant level in a crank case, a bearing housing, or other receptacle.

Specifically stated, my invention is embodied in that type of lubricating apparatus wherein a container is mounted in an inverted position connected to a, conduit that communicates with a if crank case or the like, so that when the oil level inthe case fallsslightly, air will be admitted to the container and permit flow of oil therefrom to the crankcase.

One object of my invention is to provide means 5 whereby the container can be refilled without removing it from its mounting on the conduit, and without removing or opening any part of the container.

7 Another object of my invention is to provide 2 means for refilling the container, without loss of oil from the crank case, the conduit, or from the container itself.

'Still another object of my invention is to prevent access to the container of air bubbles formed through vibration or churning of oil in a crank case, thereby avoiding improper and too great flow oi oil from the container.

Some of the forms which my invention may take are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line II--II' of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partially in section showing a modifivcation'of the structure of Fig. 1.

35 The apparatus is shown as applied to a crank case 4 and embodies a conduit 5, a valve casing 6,

a plug valve 1, a T connection 3, a holder 9, an

oil container Ill, and a breather pipe I l.

The oil container or reservoir it! may be of any suitable form and has screw connection with the holder 9. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the oil level will be maintained in the case 4 at the level of the plug valve 1. When the oil level in the crank case and in the plug valve falls below a port l2 in the plug valve, air will be admitted from the breather pipe H to the T 8 and into the container, so that suificient oil may flow from the container, to restore or maintain the normal oil level in the crank case. The

Air bubbles are frequently created in oil reservoirs of motors, crank cases of internal combustion engines and the like, and some of these bubbles will rise through the conduit 5,- and tend to enter the container Iii. If a considerable 5 quantity of the bubbles enter the container Ill, too much oil would be released therefrom and result in a too high oil level in the crankcase. However, as the bubbles move into the valve 1, at least the major portion thereof will rise through 10 the port l2 and break, thus permitting escape of the air through the breather pipe H.

An important feature of my invention resides in the provision which I have made for replenishing the supply of oil in the reservoir It]. To this end, I provide an arrangement whereby the container It may be swung from the full line position of Fig. 1, to its reverted dotted line position, such movement'bringing the closure plug M of the T 8 into upright position, whereupon the 2 plug can be removed and the container filled through the plug opening.

Normally the plug valve 7 is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of the latch lever l5, Y whose lower end is detachably connected to a yoke i6 and is clamped on the conduit 5. By removing' the screw or bolt I'L'the lever l5 can be swung to, rotate the valve l through 180, thereby bringing the valve port 18 out of registry with the conduit 5, and shutting off communication with the crank case. Another valve port 6 9 is brought into registry with the. breather pipe H, so that during refilling of the container l8, air may. es.- cape therefrom to the breather pipe; There is no danger of excess oil flowing into the crank case during the filling operation because the port I8 is closed. Also, surges of oil from the crank case backwardly past the valve cannot occur,

A nut 28 has screw-threaded connection with the stem of the valve i, so that the valve can 40 be properly maintained on its seat, and any lost motion taken up. A washer or gasket 2| is interposed between the nut 28 and the end of the valve casing. The valve i has a tapered seating surface and can be readily removed from the casing by removal of the nut 29.

When the container has been refilled, the plug i l can be replaced and the lever l5 swung to return the container and the T 8 to the position shown in Fig. 1.

It will therefore be seen that I provide means for refilling the container without unscrewing it from its holder 9, and without waste of oil. Also, no openings are required in the container other 55 than its mouth which has screw connection with the holder 9.

Referring now to Fig. 3, I show a structure having a conduit 22, a valve body 23, a breather pipe 24, a container holder 25 which, together with their associated parts, may be of identical form with corresponding elements shown in Fig. L In this form of structure, however, I provide asecond breather pipe 21 which communicates with the upper end of a well 28. The lower portion of the well'communicates with the conduit 22 and the upper portion thereof with the crank case 4.

The'breather pipe 21, together with the well 28, serve to efiectively prevent any air bubbles resulting through churning within the crank case from finding their way to the valve casing 23,

from whence some of them would probably enter the container, thereby permitting an excessive quantity of oil to ilow to the crank case. It will be seen that any air bubbles which flow through the passageway 29 tothe well 28 will rise into tion of Fig. 1, and simply unscrewing it from the.

holder 9. As it is being unscrewed, oil contained in the T 8 would flow back into the container.

While the apparatus is herein shown as a lubricating device, it will be understood that it could be employed as a liquid supply to any point of consumption where it is desired to maintain the liquid at a predetermined level.

I claim as my invention:-

1. Lubricating apparatus for a bearing housing or the like, comprising an oil container having an open mouth and mounted in an inverted position, a conduit afiording communication between the container and the housing, a valve for controlling flow through said conduit, means/for closing the valve through movement of the container to reverted position, a breathing device normally in communication with the container and the said housing, and means for shutting off communication thereof with the housing, through movement of the container to reverted position.

2. Lubricating apparatus fora bearing housing or the like, comprising a holder adapted to i normally support a container in an inverted poa valve controlling flow through the conduit and tainer, for controlling the oil level in the housing, a well disposed intermediate the ends of the con-.

duit and below the normal oil level, one branch of the conduit connected to a lower portion of the well,'another portion connected to an upper-portion of the Well, and a vertically-extending breather pipe communicating with the upper end of the well, that portion of the conduit leading from the well to the housing beingabovethat branch of the conduitwhich leads to the container. r

4. Lubricating apparatus for a bearing housing or the like, comprising an oil container, a conduit having a horizontally-extending portion leading from said container and communicating with the housing at a point below the normal 011 level, a portion of the conduit adjacent to the housing extending in a horizontal direction, a

' breather device communicating with the firstnamed horizontal portion of the conduit, for con-,

trolling the oil level in the housing, and a breather pipe communicating with second-named horizontal portion of the conduit and extending upwardly therefrom to a point above the oil level.

5. Lubricating apparatus for a bearing housing or the like, comprising an oil container, a

conduit connecting said container with the housing at a point below, the normal oil level therein, a breather device communicating with the conduit adjacent-to the-container for controlling the oil level in' the housing, means in said conduit at a point below said oil level, for collecting air passing through the conduit, and avertically-extending breather pipe communicating with the upper end of said air-collecting means.

FREDERIC 

